A UK-based cosmetics artist has revealed the most common ageing makeup mistakes she sees and what you should be doing instead – with the help of something more permanent.
Karen Betts, 55, from Yorkshire, is a permanent makeup and microblading artist who founded companies Nouveau Lashes and HD Brows.
The artist revealed that she believes the natural look is back in and advises: ‘pared back makeup looks are what’s needed to bring your look up to date’.
She emphasises that a little goes a long way and today’s makeup is ‘all about subtlety, enhancing natural features and what’s already there to give people the power to feel confident in their own skin’.
Here, FEMAIL shares the three make-up mistakes that she believes are ageing people…
1. Don’t wing it
Karen’s first tip is not to wing your eyeliner, as it can be easy to get heavy with the product and end up with a thicker result than you wanted.
She explains ‘Micro lining the lash line is a subtle way of giving the appearance of fuller, thicker looking lashes and enhances the natural eye shape – but it’s a precision art.
‘Applying micro liner is difficult. Many of us end up doubling the size we intended and winging it with a bolder look, which can be ageing and appear dated.’
Instead, she recommends permanent makeup technique, Lash Density, which is a new micro-shading technique that intensifies the lash line.
The expert says: ‘Pigment is diffused in between each natural hair, to add subtle depth and colour to the lash line, giving the appearance of fuller, thicker looking lashes without the need for eyeliner, mascara or extensions.
‘For those with light coloured lashes you can select a more subtle colour as opposed to black to flatter the individual. It really is the epitome of natural looking permanent makeup.’
2. Keep your eyebrows timeless
From the 2016 ‘soap brows’ trend to the thin brow of the 90s, what’s popular is constantly changing.
Karen advises that if you’re planning to get your eyebrows microbladed, you shouldn’t just go with the latest trend as ‘they won’t suit all faces and can become dated and ageing’.
She says however that innovation and new techniques for enhancing more natural brow shapes is something she can fully get behind:
‘With millions of views on TikTok, brow lamination is still right on trend and continues to grow every year.
‘We’re still getting a lot of clients wanting it and a lot of professionals wanting to train in it.
‘If done correctly, you can tame the brows and get a great shape. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic laminated look.
‘Brow lamination can make skinnier brows look fuller and fluffier and correct symmetry, or even just tame unruly brows for a more youthful look.’
3. Subtle lip liner is a winner
Finally, the cosmetics artist believes there’s still misconception around permanent makeup.
So, when people picture permanent lip liner, they imagine what they’ve seen in the 90s – thick liner which nowadays can look ‘harsh and ageing’.
Karen advises that a ‘more natural way to enhance the lips is with a ‘microshading’ lip blushing technique’.
This is where tiny needles are used to implant pigment into these areas, for a less synthetic result.
